Tuning the photophysical properties of carboranyl luminophores by closo- to nido-carborane conversion and application to OFF–ON fluoride sensing

Abstract

A family of closo-carborane-appended luminophores (closo-OXD1–2 and closo-DPS1–2) in which 2-R-o-carboranes (R = H, Me) are attached to the diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (OXD) or diphenyl-sulfone (DPS) acceptor groups were prepared and characterized. Deboronation of the closo-carborane cage produced the corresponding nido-carboranyl luminophores (nido-OXD1–2 and nido-DPS1–2). Whereas the closo-compounds were poorly emissive in THF (Φ_PL < 0.01), the nido-luminophores exhibited an intense fluorescence with good quantum yields (Φ_PL = 0.1–0.45). Electrochemical studies showed that while the closo-OXD and -DPS compounds displayed only carborane-centred, quasi-reversible reduction, the nido-compounds exhibited the typical features for nido-carborane-centred, irreversible oxidation and acceptor-centred, reversible reduction. Theoretical studies suggested that while the ¹ππ* state of closo-compounds is nonemissive due to the contribution of closo-carborane to the LUMO in the S₁ excited state, the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state from the nido-carborane to acceptor moieties in nido-compounds leads to an efficient fluorescence. Finally, THF solutions of closo-OXD1 and -DPS1 showed strong fluorescence upon the addition of fluoride anions under mild heating, but were intact to other anions, including cyanide, allowing the selective OFF–ON fluorescence sensing of fluoride.